Dehydrogenative coupling can be achieved in nearly quantitative conversions and yields using a membrane reactor.

An apparatus includes a conduit with two process fluid inlets at one end of the conduit, one process fluid outlet at an opposing end, a heat exchange medium inlet, and a heat exchange medium outlet. One of the fluid inlets includes a tube extending into the conduit and a perforated node at the end of the tube, and the other of the fluid inlets is arranged up stream of the perforated node. The apparatus further includes hollow tubes positioned longitudinally within the conduit between the two process fluid inlets, the process fluid outlet, the heat exchange medium inlet and the heat exchange medium outlet. In addition, the apparatus includes a collection vessel positioned proximate the fluid outlet and fibers extending through each of the hollow tubes, wherein one end of the fibers is secured to the perforated node and the other end of the fibers extends into the collection vessel.

Provided herein are processes for carrying out a chemical reaction of a substrate in a diluted reaction mixture. The processes include conducting the reaction mixture having reaction product and solvent to a filtration membrane which is permeable to the solvent but impermeable to the reaction product. Solvent which permeates the filtration membrane for dilution of the substrate feed is recycled.

In general, disclosed herein are methods for forming hydrogen by use of an ammonia decomposition catalyst system. For instance, a method can include contacting a catalyst system with an ammonia source at a temperature of about 450? C. or lower. The catalyst systems can include a support material and a trimetallic catalyst component carried on the support material and within a reactor. Disclosed catalyst systems can decompose ammonia at relatively low temperatures and can provide an efficient and cost-effective route to utilization of ammonia as a carbon-free hydrogen storage and generation material.

A liquid fuel synthesis system includes a liquid fuel synthesis portion and a sweep gas supply unit. The liquid fuel synthesis portion is partitioned into a non-permeation side space and a permeation side space by the separation membrane. A temperature of the sweep gas flowing into the permeation side space is higher than at least one of a temperature of the raw material gas flowing into the non-permeation side space and a temperature of a first outflow gas flowing out of the non-permeation side space. A temperature of a second outflow gas flowing out of the permeation side space is higher than at least one of the temperature of the raw material gas flowing into the non-permeation side space and the temperature of the first outflow gas flowing out of the non-permeation side space.

A fiber bundle liquid-liquid contactor may comprise: a vessel comprising: a first inlet; a second inlet; a mixing zone arranged in the vessel to receive a first liquid from the first inlet and a second liquid from the second inlet, wherein the mixing zone comprises an inductor fluidically coupled to the inlet for the second liquid; and an extraction zone comprising a fiber bundle arranged in the vessel to receive the first liquid and the second liquid from the mixing zone.

In a process for the epoxidation of an olefin by continuously reacting the olefin with hydrogen peroxide in a methanol solvent on a fixed bed epoxidation catalyst comprising a titanium zeolite, the hydrogen peroxide is used as an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution made by an anthraquinone process, the aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution is mixed with methanol to give a feed mixture and this feed mixture is filtered before being contacted with the fixed bed epoxidation catalyst.

A process for direct compression of hydrogen separated from a hydrocarbon source is described herein. The process comprises a first zone wherein a hydrocarbon reaction that produce hydrogen occurs, a ceramic proton conductor which under an applied electric field transport hydrogen from said first zone to said second zone, and a second zone where compressed hydrogen is produced. The heat energy generated by ohmic resistance in the membrane is partially recuperated as chemical energy in the hydrocarbon reforming process to generate hydrogen.

A method of and apparatus for recovering an alcohol solvent from a liquid mixture of the solvent and plant oil and decarboxylating the plant oil may include, pressurizing the liquid mixture to a super-atmospheric pressure, recirculating the pressurized liquid mixture a plurality of times through at least one membrane separator to separate some of the solvent from the mixture to provide a concentrated mixture of the plant oil with less solvent, reducing the pressure of the liquid concentrated mixture to less than 15 psig, heating it at a pressure of less than 15 psig to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the solvent in the concentrated mixture, removing sufficient heat from the vaporized solvent to condense it to a liquid solvent at atmospheric pressure and temperature conditions, and heating the plant oil to a temperature desirably of at least 215? F. to decarboxylate the plant oil.

A hydrogen-producing device is provided which can start up without receiving an energy supply from the outside. This hydrogen-producing device 1 is provided with an input unit 11 which is connected to a hydrogen source 41, a reformer 12 which produces a hydrogen-containing gas, a hydrogen storage container 13, a fuel battery 15 which generates power using the hydrogen-containing gas, and a control unit 18. The hydrogen storage container 13 is connected to a fuel hydrogen supply path 16 for supplying hydrogen to the fuel battery 15, and to an external supply path 17 which supplies hydrogen to an external load 42. The control unit 18 stores a threshold value of the hydrogen-containing gas necessary for start-up of the fuel battery 15, and controls the amount stored in the hydrogen storage container 13 to be greater than or equal to the amount necessary for start-up of the fuel battery 15. Further, when starting up the hydrogen-producing device, the fuel battery 15 generates power by receiving a supply of the hydrogen-containing gas stored in the hydrogen storage container 13 and supplies power to the reformer 12 from a power supply path 30. The reformer 12 starts up and hydrogen is produced.